No Easy Answers
by viciousrumours
Summary: When she disappeared,she meant to stay gone.  She should have known he would find her.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: **_This is the first time I've ever written NCIS fic. I'm usually a sci-fi girl. I'd like to know if anyone thinks the story would be interesting enough to keep going with it. _

**Author's Note Update: **_I've added to the prologue and have started work on the first chapter. Because I'm used to writing sci-fi, I'm looking for one or two people that would be willing to read new material before I post. If you think you'd like to do it, drop me a line. _

_Insert usual disclaimer here. I, of course, don't own any part of any of the canon characters. The plot line and the OC's...that's all mine. _

**No Easy Answers**

_Prologue_

He stared down at the picture in his hands and felt his stomach clench.

"When was this taken?"

McGee stopped typing abruptly and looked up, "Ummm..." he fumbled for the words.

"McGee!"

"48 hours ago, boss. It was taken by a local newspaper at a local fair in Montana five months ago."

He looked back down at the photograph and swallowed. He felt himself sit down, his vision beginning to blur slightly. Slowly he traced the woman's face. The line of her jaw, the smile, they were both familiar to him. He stood up again, "And we're sure it's her?"

McGee nodded, "Yes, boss, we're sure."

"And the girl?" he asked again, looking at the picture once more.

There was a short pause.

"It's her daughter, boss," the answer came quietly from across the room. Tony walked across the short distance and stopped in front of his desk, "And, yeah, we're sure about that too."

Gibbs felt his world slip slightly off it's axis. She was alive. After three years of searching, three years of trying not to let himself imagine the worst, he knew she was alive. It should have made him feel some sense of relief, but as he stared at the picture, into eyes that were all to familiar, he felt something else. No, it wasn't just relief he felt. There was anger, too.

After three years he had more questions than answers, but now he knew where to go to get them.

She had a lot of explaining to do.

Bryn shivered as she opened the front door. The frigid December air rushed past her and she pulled her sweater tighter around her. The morning was clear and ice crystals clung to everything, sparkling in the burgeoning light. She watched the light dance across her snow covered yard and took a deep breath. She'd settled in Bozeman a year ago, deciding that if no one had come looking after two years, it was likely no one would. Her daughter had needed a home, a place to feel safe and secure.

Safe and secure.

There had been a time when she thought she'd always feel that way. Always know where things stood in her life. Three years ago all of that had changed. Three years ago everything she'd been sure of had disappeared. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and stepped back into the house.

After three years she had started to settle into her new life, her new world. The day she'd bought this house, she'd told herself she was happy. She told herself she had put the past behind her, left it long ago. When the letter had shown up in her mail box three days ago, she'd discovered that wasn't true.

She padded quietly down the hall and stopped in front of her daughter's bedroom. Siobhan was still sleeping. Her face calm and quiet and flushed with the warmth of sleep. She walked softly to the bed and sat down on the edge, her fingers caressing her daughter's cheek. She leaned down and kissed the little girl on the cheek before getting up again.

She walked to her closet and pulled down her suitcase. Dropping it onto the bed she flipped it open and began to pack. The letter had changed everything. When she left three years ago, she had believed she was ending it, now she knew she had only slowed the inevitable. The moment she had seen the bright red ink, she'd known she would have to go back.


	2. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note: **I would have posted sooner, but work has been busy. Hope you enjoy the update. I'm half way through Chapter 2. It should be up in the next couple of days. _

**Chapter 1**

_Three years ago..._

"Grab your gear, got a dead marine."

The familiar phrase caused Tony, Ziva and McGee to spring to their feet.

"Where we headed boss?" Tony asked

"Shenandoah National Park. Rangers found a body."

"Ahhh, Jethro, such a beautiful morning, isn't it?"

Gibbs looked at Dr. Donald Mallard and felt a smile ease across his face, "Yep. What we got Ducky?"

"Well, from what I can ascertain, this poor fellow was the victim of a rather brutal attack," he pointed to the body lying supine on the ground.

"Cause of death?"

"I would guess exsanguination, there are several sharp puncture wounds on the torso in a symmetrical pattern and his throat has been cut. The cut itself is relatively shallow and did not transect any of the major arteries," Ducky shook his head, "His killer wanted him to suffer before he died, Jethro. I can also tell you that he most certainly was not killed here."

Gibbs glanced at the body. Animals had started to strip the flesh from the bones, leaving the nasal cavity and part of the skull exposed, but there was less blood then there should have been. He squinted into the sunlight, "Like the others?" he asked.

Ducky nodded, a grim look crossing his face, "Yes, Jethro, I"m afraid it is. Of course, I'll have more information once I complete the autopsy."

Gibbs shook his head slightly, "McGee!" he yelled.

"Here, boss."

"Find out who he is."

"Right boss," McGee answered as he knelt next to the body. He picked up one of the dead man's hands and placed the index finger on the scanned of the portable fingerprint unit. A few seconds later he looked up, "Lt. John Brewster, boss. Stationed at Quantico."

"How long's he been out here Duck?"

"From the condition of the body, I would guess no longer than three days." Ducky turned away from the body, "Let's get him on the truck Mr. Palmer." He turned and nodded to Gibbs, "I'll let you know when I have something for you."

"I know you will, Duck."

Gibbs heard footsteps behind him, but didn't turn around. He scanned the landscape around him, quickly assessing the terrain, "Well?" he asked aloud, "What are you waiting for?" he asked, indicating the area in front of him, "Get to it."

"Right boss, we're on it," Tony answered.

"Well Duck, what'd you find?" Gibbs asked as he walked into the autopsy lab nearly three hours later. He'd been working on tracking the lieutenants movements when Ducky had called him down.

"The lieutenant was fourteen times, excluding the sharp force trauma to the back of the head. His throat was slashed shortly before time of death. One of the stabs to the chest penetrated the right ventricle of the heart. Which was what killed him, drowned in his own blood."

"And..?" Gibbs asked, knowing that there was more.

"It's as we feared, I found traces of wax in the wounds," Ducky said, " I took samples and sent them up to Abby for analysis along with scrapings from under the lieutenant's fingernails and some trace I found in his hair."

Gibbs looked upward, his mind already searching through the facts of all the cases with a similar M.O. This made four in the last two months. He looked at Ducky again, "Tattoos?" he asked, even though he already knew the answer.

Ducky nodded, "Around each wound. The same peculiar lettering and blood droplets. I took photographs and sent those up to Abby as well."

Gibbs looked down at the body. Each wound was surrounded by droplets of blood etched deep into the tissue in dark red ink. Just below the neck wound a line of lettering was apparent.

Ducky's voice drew him out of his thoughts.

"Whoever did this wanted us to learn something, Jethro. These tattoos were done prior to death, over a period of several days I would guess." A look of distress passed over the older man's face, gone before most people would have registered it, "Something very dark happened to this man before he died."

Gibbs nodded, "Thanks Duck. Let me know if you find anything else," he said as he walked toward the door.

"Of course," came the reply as the doors closed behind him. He let his mind sift through the information he had just been given as he made his way toward the elevator. He hated cases like these, hated the places they took him. Trying to find people who used ritual and torture to kill meant trying to put yourself in their minds to find them. He knew what would be waiting for him when he stepped through that door again.

As he approached the bullpen, he could hear DiNozzo and McGee talking about the case. He stopped at his desk, checking the message light on his phone before turning his attention to his team, "McGee?"

"Right," McGee answered as he pressed a button on the remote control he held, "Lt. John Brewster was reported missing one week ago by his brother." He pressed another button and the lieutenants service file appeared on the screen, " The brother told Metro that the lieutenant and his girlfriend a..." he paused and looked down at his notes, "...Michelle Mitchell were expected at his parents home for a family dinner. They never arrived."

As a photograph of a young brunette woman appeared on the screen, Tony began talking, "I called Metro and they're sending over the missing persons report. They checked both the lieutenant's apartment and the girlfriend's place. Came up empty. No sign of a struggle or forced entry, no obvious signs of foul play. Detective I talked to said they had kind of decided that the two had just run off and decided not to tell anyone where they were going."

"Uh-huh," Gibbs mumbled as he stared at the pictures on the screen.

Ziva came around her desk, holding her notebook, "The lieutenant's car is still parked at the girlfriend's house, but her car is gone. It is what led the police to believe they had simply gone for a long weekend.

They have been concentrating they're efforts of trying to figure out where they might have gone. So far, they have discovered no evidence that they left the city. "

"Get me everything..."

"On the lieutenant and his girlfriend. On it boss," McGee finished.

"Dinozzo, you and David go interview the brother. Find out if the lieutenant had any enemies."

"Right boss," Dinozzo said as he grabbed his pack and followed Ziva to the elevator.

Gibbs turned to McGee, "I want everything you can find on the lieutenant and his girlfriend," he said as he left the bullpen.

"On it boss," McGee said to Gibb's retreating back.

As the elevator door slid open, Gibbs could hear the music coming from Abby's lab. He smiled and gripped the large, cold cup in his hand a little tighter. Walking through the door of the lab he called out, "What 'cha got for me Abbs?" he asked, placing the Caf-Pow on the counter next to her.

Abby turned her head away from her computer and smiled, " Well, I can tell you that these tattoos," she started as she brought the image up on her screen, "Were definitely done by the same person that tattooed the other victims." She clicked the mouse and the screen split, bringing up an image of another set of tattoos. She zoomed in on the images and pointed, "The depth and the style are exactly the same."

Gibbs stepped around the desk and stood in front of the large flat screen on the back wall, "Is that all?"

"Oh Gibbs," Abby said, "You should know better."

The image on the screen changed, this time showing split images of the lettering around the neck wounds, "Although the lettering looks the same, when you look closer, you can see slight differences in the curve of the letters and," she continued, hitting two keys on her keyboard, highlighting three characters on each neck, "these characters are different."

Gibbs turned and looked at her, "What does it mean Abby?" he asked as he walked back around the desk.

"That's the problem, I can't figure them out. I've run the characters through every database I can think of, I still haven't found any matches. I think the sicko who did this made up his own language," she said, tilting her head to the side a little, "but I'm still working on it. I will figure this out Gibbs."

Gibbs nodded, "I know you will Abbs."

She smiled again and turned away from her computer and walked to the table behind her, "I did have more luck with the residue Ducky found under his fingernails and in his hair."

"What is it?" he asked.

"It's amber. Like the kind they use in perfumes and stuff. It's had something added to it, if you bring me a sample, I'll be able to match it."

Gibbs laid a hand at the small of her back and leaned in. He placed a light kiss on her cheek and whispered in her ear, "Good work Abs. Call me if you find anything else."

As Abby watched Gibbs leave her lab, she took a deep breath. Over the years, she'd come to view Gibbs as a close friend. A confident. Lately though, every time he was near, her heart beat just a little faster and her breath caught in her throat. She shook her head to clear it as she turned back to her computer. She needed to focus on the work.

Gibbs watched the elevator doors close and pushed out a long breath. He felt like a dirty old man. He'd dropped that same kiss on Abby's cheek for the last ten years, an innocent form of affection. Today though, there had been a small jolt when his lips touched her skin. He closed his eyes and took a deep, cleansing breath, He wanted to tell himself it was an anomaly, that the stress of the case had simply tossed his emotions into turmoil. But, deep inside, he knew it was something else. Something he would learn to suppress.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_It was always easiest with the young ones. They were more willing to believe. More willing to play along. And more willing to scream. _

_Long fingers trailed themselves through the warm liquid covering the flesh., tracing the outline of each hole, admiring the way the ink mixed with the blood. The design was clearer now, the path more defined. _

_He tilted his head back and inhaled as a soft whimper rose from the table. He leaned closer and whispered in the woman's ear, "Oh my dear, you have no idea of the things you'll set in motion. You'll bring her home to me, you'll bring the journey to it's end." _

_Fear lit the woman's eyes and her grinned. The knife in his hand caught the moonlight and glinted. He trailed his fingers through her blood matted hair then leaned down and licked her cheek, "I know you're afraid, that's what makes the sacrifice meaningful." _

_Standing up again he laid the knife against her neck and slid it through her flesh, his body reacting immediately. He felt a rush of lust surge through him and shivered. This one would be the best yet. _

oOo

Bryn Lund zipped her daughter's coat and kissed her cheek, "We," she said as she put the tiny pink hat on Siobhan, "are going on a trip. We get to ride a train. It will be like an adventure."

Siobhan grinned up at her mother and held out her arms, asking silently to be picked up. Bryn scooped the girl up in her arms and looked around the living room of the small house one last time. She had never pictured herself as a suburban mom, but now that she had had a taste of the life, she found that she enjoyed it, that she would miss it. She turned to the door and grabbed the manilla envelope from the top of the table in the entryway, "Mommy just has to make one stop before we leave."

oOo

The office where she had spent the last year was small and packed with memories. _So many in such a short time,_ she thought as she opened the door adjoining her office with the one next door. She set Siobhan on the floor and smiled at the woman sitting behind the desk.

"Hey Marie."

The woman stood up, smiling in return, "Bryn! I didn't expect to see you until your office hours this afternoon." She stepped out from behind her desk and walked to where Siobhan was playing on the floor, "And how are we this morning?"

Bryn watched her daughter smile in return, "Going on a train. Get to have a 'venture today."

Marie looked at Bryn as she straightened, "A train?"

"I'm leaving town for a while Marie, I just came to let you know. I've left instructions for my T.A. and I sent an email to Professor Hardwick so he can find a replacement."

The other woman frowned, "Bryn, what's going on?"

"Something has come up. I have to go home for a bit, is all, but I need you to do me a favor." She held out the manilla envelope, "I need you to put this in the outgoing mail this afternoon."

Marie took the envelope and looked at it, "NCIS? Isn't that the Navy version of CSI?"

Bryn grinned, "He'd hate to hear you say that."

"Who?" Marie asked, glancing back at the envelope, "This Agent Gibbs? He a friend of yours?"

Bryn picked her daughter up again and walked to the door, "You could say that."

oOo

Gibbs pulled the photograph of Abby and the little girl out of his drawer and stared at it for a second. Abby was holding the child close to her and both were smiling. If he had to guess he'd say they were at some kind of school, there were other children in the background. His finger traced Abby's face before he set the photo back on his desk.

It had been a week since he had discovered she was alive, a week since he'd discovered he had a daughter. He opened his drawer and threw the picture back in. He knew his team didn't understand why he hadn't just picked up and headed out to Montana to bring her home, hell, he wasn't sure he understood.

He was pulled from his thoughts by an envelope hitting his desk.

"Just came in for you boss," McGee said.

Gibbs pushed the envelope to the side of his desk, "Not now Tim," he replied.

McGee pushed the envelope back across the desk, "I really think you should look at this boss."

Gibbs sighed and picked up the envelope holding it at arms length. He immediately straightened in his chair. The return address read "Bozeman, MT". He flipped the envelope over and sliced it open, dumping the contents onto his desk.

A single sheet of paper fell out, followed by a black envelope in a sealed bag. His heart lodged in his throat.

"Dinozzo, get your ass over here!"

The senior agent was at his side in seconds, "Yes b..." the words died in his throat as he saw the black envelope, "Boss?" he asked.

Gibbs pulled gloves from his desk and slid them on. Then he carefully picked up the piece of paper.

_Gibbs,_

_I know you have to have seen the picture by now and I know you have questions. The letter showed up at my house a few days ago and I knew it wasn't safe anymore. I want you to know we're okay and we're coming home. _

_Abby_

After setting the letter down he picked up the bag that held the black envelope. He turned it over in his hands, staring at it through the plastic. The gold lettering on the outside was the same and he knew that when they opened it they would find white vellum with a letter written in blood.

"Is that from him?" he heard Ziva ask.

"Looks like it,"Gibbs said, "He's back."


	4. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **_I'm so sorry it took so long to get this chapter up. I'm finding writing procedural fiction to be a challenge for me. I don't want to cheat you out of a great story by skimping on the details, so it may take a little longer than normal. I'm well into Chapter 4 though, so it shouldn't take as long this time. Thanks for reading and thanks to all of you who take the time to leave me reviews. _

**Chapter 3**

_Three years ago..._

As Tony raised his hand to knock on Michael Brewster's front door, he felt his stomach clench a little. He'd never get used to this part of the job. It always made his gut twist when they had to notify a family member their loved one had been found dead. It was especially hard when the case had started out as a missing person. Families clung to the hope that their brother or mother or daughter would walk through the door one day, like it had all been some huge mistake. He had to be the one that stripped them of that hope.

When the door opened a tall man with sandy brown hair stood in front of them. Michael Brewster looked a lot like his brother. Inwardly, Tony groaned, _I bet they were best friends too._

"Can I help you?"

Tony and Ziva both held up their badges, "We're with NCIS Mr. Brewster. Could we come in?"

Tony watched the man's face pale visibly, "You found him, didn't you? You found John."

"Yes," Ziva said, "We found his body this morning in Shenedoah National Park. We'd like to come in and speak with you, if that is all right."

There was a brief pause, as if he was trying to think of the right answer, "Of course," he finally said, opening the door to allow them into the house, "I..I'll try to answer your questions as best I can."

They followed him through the house to the living room where he perched on the edge of the couch and looked up at them, "What happened to him? Did you find Karen?"

Tony sat down on a chair opposite Michael and said, "He was murdered. And no, we haven't found Karen yet." He looked into the other man's eyes and asked, "Was there anyone who would have wanted to hurt your brother or Karen? Had he had any trouble recently?"

Michael shook his head, "No. I mean, don't get me wrong, my brother wasn't a saint, but no one hated him enough to kill him." He looked down at his hands, "I knew something was wrong. When John didn't report back to base..." his words trailed off, "It wasn't like him. The cops said John and Karen had most likely just run off for a few days, but I knew he would never have just left."

Ziva sat down next to Michael, "When was the last time you saw your brother?"

"A little over a week ago. He and Karen were supposed to come to my parents place for a barbeque. They never showed. I called the police the next day," he looked at Tony, "I thought they might have had a car accident or something..." Brewster added, his words trailing off.

Tony looked away, he knew what the rest of the sentence was, no one ever expected to be told a family member had been murdered.

They concluded the interview and promised to let Michael know if they found anything out.

As they walked to the car, Ziva looked at Tony, "You were surprising quiet in there."

"It's called observation."

"It is not like you, is all. You are usually much more..." she paused struggling for the right word," more intrusive."

Tony rolled his eyes, "Just let it go David."

The ride to the Karen Allard's apartment passed mostly in silence. They let themselves in and began a methodical search of her apartment. There was still evidence of the previous search, fingerprint powder on surfaces, drawers partially open, Tony ignored them. He walked to the refrigerator and opened it, studying the contents for a moment before turning around.

"There's milk in the fridge," he said, "and steaks."

"It is not unusual to find food in a refrigerator Tony."

"No, it's not unusual, but if they had decided to go on an extended getaway," he said as he walked back into the living room, "they wouldn't have left steaks to thaw or kept milk that would go bad. People leaving on vacations get rid of things likely to make the kitchen smell like something died if it's left to long."

"Ah, I see. You are implying that the lieutenant and Ms. Allard intended on returning."

Tony ran a finger along the back of the couch, "And if they had plans for a nice dinner for two, you have to wonder what happened in between."

Ziva walked down the hallway and into the master bedroom, "The bed has not been made either," she said.

Tony entered the room behind her, the snap of his camera bringing her attention to him, "The Metro report was correct, there does not appear to be any sign of a struggle here."

Tony stopped and lowered the camera, "It looks like they just went out for a minute."

They left the bedroom and went back to the living room, intending to leave. As Ziva opened the door, Tony held up a hand, "Wait."

Ziva stopped, turning to look at him, "What?"

"When girls leave the house, don't they always take their purse with them?"

"I do not carry a purse."

"Okay, right. When _normal _girls leave the house, don't they always take their purse with them?"

Ziva made a face at him, "What is your point Tony?"

He pointed to the corner of the room, "So, what is _that _doing there?"

Ziva looked at the area Tony was pointing to. There was a small black bag lying on the floor in the corner of the living room. She flipped open her notebook and quickly scanned her notes, "There is nothing here about the girlfriends purse," she said, "Metro would surely have noted that in their report."

Tony knelt down in front of the purse. He used the tip of his pen to pull the top open just a bit. He looked up at Ziva, "This wasn't here when they searched the place," he said as he picked up the purse and opened it, pulling a long, slender black envelope from the inside pocket, "Whoever killed Lieutenant Brewster came back after Metro searched the apartment."

oOo

Abby ran her gloved fingers over the outside of the envelope. The paper was thick,black vellum with delicate gold lettering on the front. The characters were the same as those found on the bodies. She turned off the lights in the lab and picked up the hand held UV wand. As she scanned the light over the front of the envelope she saw nothing that caught her attention. Flipping the envelope over she scanned ithe back as well, still nothing. Setting the light down on the counter, she frowned. Usually there were particles, fibers, something to see, but the outside of the envelope was clean.

She used a pair of thin tweezers to lift the flap of the envelope and extract the letter inside. The paper was stark white vellum. She slid it out of the envelope and set it on the counter, carefully unfolding it with the tweezers. Dark red lettering stood out in harsh contrast against the pristine white background. She read the words one by one and felt a chill run along her spine.

_Do you know how much I love you? Can you feel me inside of you? We are part of a whole, you can never escape me._

Setting the tweezers to one side, she picked up a swab and took a sample from the paper. She was pretty sure the lettering was drawn with blood, but Gibbs would want to know for sure. He'd also want to know whose blood it was. He'd want to know everything she could tell him, and she wouldn't let him down.

oOo

_Present Day..._

Abby looked out the window as the scenery flew past. She still had trouble thinking of herself as that person again. Abigail Scuito had died three years ago. She'd made her peace with that. She hadn't ever intended on going back. When she'd left D.C. three years ago, it had been with the intention of staying gone.

Her daughter moved in her lap, still asleep, her little face a mask of serenity. They would reach their destination in a few hours and she was becoming more and more nervous. The fear of what he would say, of what they would all say, was overwhelming. She was sure they would all hate her, but he would hate her most of all.

Abby closed her eyes against the tears that inevitably followed thoughts of him. Sometimes when she was lying in bed alone at night, she could swear she could still smell him. The odd mixture of male heat and sawdust. If she allowed herself to, she could still feel the gentle press of his lips against her skin.

Abby forced her eyes open and shook her head, trying to clear it of the memories flooding in. She didn't have time to think about the past. She would need his help to find the man threatening their lives. Even though she knew the pain it would bring, she needed Gibbs.

oOo

"Dinozzo!"

Tony jumped when Gibbs' voice cut through the early morning quiet of the bull pen. He stood up, "Yes boss," he said.

Gibbs simply stood and looked at him, "Oh, right," he said, moving out from behind his desk. He picked up the remote for the flat screen and pressed a button, the letter Abby had included with her message to Gibbs appeared on the screen. "It's the same as the others we found. Black envelope, white paper," he clicked again, bringing up a second image of the letter, "Lettering written in the blood. We're still waiting on DNA to see if there's a match to any missing persons."

Gibbs stood silently, staring at the screen, reading the letter again. He felt his jaw tense and tried to relax.

_You broke the rules. You have a choice to make._

"Where the hell are McGee and Ziva?" he said, moving to his desk.

Tony followed, "McGee is downstairs in the lab, checking to see if DNA is back yet, boss. And Ziva is," he was interrupted by the sound of Gibbs' cellphone.

Gibbs flipped his phone open and looked at the caller I.D. He sighed and accepted the call, "Yeah Dad," he said, "Well, I can't really talk right now, I'm kind of.. WHAT? When? You don't let her leave until I get there, you understand?"

He snapped his phone shut and looked at Tony, "Get McGee and Ziva, get your gear and meet me in the garage," he said as he headed for the elevator."

"Sure boss, where we going?"

"Stillwater," came the reply as the elevator doors slid closed.

"Oh," Tony said as he picked up the phone to call McGee and Ziva, "This is going to be fun."


	5. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: ** _This chapter is a little fluffy. The next few chapters will be a lot of back story and it will get a little dark. Thanks to all of you who are reading and thanks for the reviews. I hope you continue to enjoy the story. _

**Chapter 4**

Abby sat on the porch and watched as Siobhan played happily in the morning sunlight. There was a dusting of snow on the ground, but it wasn't that cold and the little girl was laughing as she tossed snow in the air.

"You know he's going to have a lot of questions," said Jackson Gibbs from behind her. "I've got a fair amount of questions myself," he added, tilting his head in the direction of the yard.

Abby turned and looked at Gibbs' father. When she and Siobhan had showed up on his doorstep the night before, he hadn't asked any questions, he'd simply invited her inside.

She knew he had called his son this morning and she knew that Gibbs would be arriving soon. It was time to face the music.

"He's going to hate me," she said, "I don't know what to say to him."

"I'd say tell him the truth. Man's got a right to know why you kept his girl from him."

Abby felt tears prick the back of her eyelids, "I know," was all she said before walking down the stairs to collect her daughter.

Scooping the little girl up in her arms, Abby went back into the house. She took Siobhan's snowsuit, hat and mittens off and watched as the girl ran into the living room, chattering excitedly.

"Papa, Papa! I made glibbers with the snow."

Abby grinned as she listened to her daughter mangle her words, "Glitter, baby. You made glitter."

"Right mommy, glibbers."

Jackson laughed, "I'm sure you did darlin'. I'm sure you did."

Abby picked her daughter up again and bussed a kiss across her cheek, "You go find your doll, okay? Mommy needs to talk to your papa," she said, setting Siobhan back on the floor.

As the little girl tottered out of the room, she turned to Jackson, "How long ago did you call him?"

Jackson looked at his watch, "About an hour ago. I figure he'll be here anytime now."

"Will you watch Siobhan for me, I need to go and change."

"You go do what you need to do," he said, "I'll watch the little one."

Abby climbed the stairs to the second floor, her eyes burning with unshed tears. She knew she couldn't avoid seeing him, but she wasn't ready to face him, or his questions, yet. She closed the door to the room she was sharing with her daughter and sat on the edge of the bed, finally allowing the tears to spill over. She may have left him, but she had never stopped loving him. She just hoped she could find a way to make him understand that.

oOo

_Her hair was still the same lustrous jet black. He closed his eyes and imagined how it would feel in his fingers, slick with her blood. He could imagine her pale flesh, naked under his gaze. He knew where each tattoo would go, where he would make each cut. _

_She had escaped him once, but she was home now, he wouldn't let her go again. _

oOo

Gibbs looked at his father's house and felt an unfamiliar knot of trepidation tighten in his stomach. He opened the car door and got out, walking to the front door. He could hear his team behind him and he knew, that like him, they all had questions they wanted answered. He didn't knock, just stepped through the door and waited. It didn't take long for his father to appear around the corner.

"Dad," he said.

"Jethro," his father replied, "Didn't waste any time getting here."

"Figured you wouldn't have called if you'd wanted me to wait."

"I see you brought everyone with you," Jackson said, indicating his team behind him.

"They have questions, too."

Jackson nodded slowly, "I imagine everyone does. You just remember to give that girl time to explain, Jethro. She's carrying a lot of weight on those shoulders."

"Where is she?" Gibbs asked.

"I'm here Gibbs," Abby said, standing on the upper landing of the stairs.

As a whole, Gibbs and his team turned to look at her and Abby felt her heart catch in her throat. He looked so good, they all did. She clutched the railing and tried to steady her nerves as she began descending the stairs.

Gibbs never looked away. He watched her as she came down the stairs, studying her closely. Her hair was longer, swept back from her face in a tight ponytail. Gone were the dog collar and chunky jewelry. She wore a simple black sweater and a pair of jeans. She looked different. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she looked into his eyes and he saw tears shimmering in them. He fought against the urge to gather her into his arms and hold her.

Behind them, Tony cleared his throat, breaking the spell the silence had laid over the entryway.

"Well, lets go in and sit down, not going to get much done standing around out here," Jackson said, turning away and walking into the living room.

Abby followed Jackson, pulling him close to her before the others came into the room, "Where is Siobhan?"

Jackson smiled, "I laid her down for her nap," he said, "Figured it would be easier to get this part before you introduce my son to his daughter. Boy's going to want his questions answered, you ready to do that?"

"I don't know if I'm ready, but he deserves to know the truth," Abby said.

Ziva was the first to speak. Stepping out from behind Gibbs she walked to Abby and wrapped her arms around the other woman, "It is good to see you Abby. I am relieved too see that you are well."

Abby felt the tears again. She fought them back knowing that if she cried now, she'd never make it through what was coming. She pulled away from Ziva, looking her friend in the eyes, "I didn't expect hugs."

Ziva stepped back, "I have many questions, but I am not sure now is the time,"

McGee cleared his throat and stepped up to give Abby a light hug, "You shouldn't have disappeared like you did. Whatever it was, we would have.." his words trailed off when Abby touched his cheek.

"I'm sorry Timmy. I..." she said, swallowing hard against the tears.

Abby looked away from Tim and gave a tentative smile to Tony. He frowned at her, "Hey, don't look at me. I'm just here because when the boss says grab you gear," he stopped, and walked across the room, "Oh, who am I kidding? It's good to see you," he pulled back and looked at her, "Ju got some 'splainin to do."

Tony's goofy banter made Abby smile a little more. She knew they were all still upset with her, but they were trying to give her a chance. She loved them for that.

"All right you three," Jackson said, "Now that said your hellos, you come with me. These two need privacy to say the things they need to say."

As Jackson and the rest of the team left the room, Abby turned away and looked out the window. She couldn't face him alone. If felt like her heart was being ripped from her chest.

"Why'd you leave Abs?"

With that one question, the damn broke. Tears streamed down Abby's face as she turned to face the man she loved. His eyes searched hers and she could see his pain and his anger. She could tell he was holding back, giving her a chance to explain.

"I didn't want to go Gibbs," Abby said as she started to pace, tears still running down her cheeks, " I mean I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to stay. But I couldn't take the chance. The letter said if I left.."

Gibbs walked across the room and grabbed her arms, spinning her around so she was facing him, "Abs!" he said, "What letter? Why didn't you talk to me? What were you running from?"

Abby took a deep breath,

"Wait, are you telling me that The Angel sent you one of those letters?"

Abby nodded.

"And you didn't say anything? You just left?"

"Gibbs...I'm trying to tell you that I was wanted to talk to you, but then we...I mean you and I," she gestured helplessly between them, "And I just couldn't stay."

"So you just let everyone think you'd disappeared...or worse..that you were dead?" Gibbs asked, his voice raising slightly, "You're solution to the problem was to vanish in the middle of the night? What happened between us..."

Abby cut him off, "What happened between us should never have happened. We both know that, it was a mistake."

Gibbs sank onto the couch, "I woke up the next morning and you were gone. I thought you were embarrassed, that I'd see you at the lab and we'd talk. But you just weren't there." He looked up at her, "I looked for you Abby, I never stopped looking for you. And then I find out..."

Abby sank to her knees in front of him and opened her mouth to tell him the real reason she left. The sound of her daughter's voice stopped her. Quickly, she wiped the tears away from her face and plastered a bright smile on her lips, her eyes silently begging Gibbs to let the conversation drop for the moment.

Gibbs felt the air leave his lungs as the little girl came bounding into the room. Her jet black hair bouncing around her face in tiny curls. She skidded to a stop in the middle of the room, her eyes going from her mother to him and back again. Then a bright smile split her cherubic face and she darted toward him, "Mommy...you found Daddy," the child said as she landed against him, "Where was he Mommy?"

Gibbs clutched his daughter to him, looking over her head at Abby, "She knows who I am?"

Abby wiped another tear from her face and nodded, "Daddy was waiting for you to come home Siobhan. And now he's here."

She watched as Siobhan climbed into her father's lap and laid her head against his shoulder, "Mommy says you love me. Do you love me Daddy?"

Gibbs felt his throat close off. He swallowed hard and dropped a kiss on the top of his daughter's head, "Oh yeah. I love you," he said, his eyes never leaving Abby's, "I'll always love you."


	6. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: **_With this chapter I will begin exploring the psyche of the killer and describing his actions in more detail. Some of the topics that will be discussed may be offensive to some people. If you find you are offended by the subject matter, please feel free to stop reading. _

_Now, a happier topic: I would like to tell each of my reader's how much I value you. You may not all review, but I know you are there. You make me feel like a rock-star. To know that you return chapter after chapter to continue the journey with me makes me feel humbled. Without readers like you, I would have no reason to write. So thank you, I hope I can continue to entertain you all. _

**Chapter 5**

Tony leaned against the kitchen door frame and watched as Gibbs held his daughter. The little girl, dressed in leggings with little skulls on them, a bright purple t-shirt and a pink tu-tu, had her mother's dark hair and her father's eyes, but the smile, that smile was all Abby. As she spoke to her mother though, her face became serious and he saw Gibbs there as well.

He'd heard the little girl's voice and peeked around the corner. As he watched the emotions play across Gibbs' face, he'd felt himself become angry. He loved Abby, always would, but he didn't understand how she could have kept Gibbs from his daughter.

Then Abby had looked at him and he'd seen the tears shining in her eyes. His heart softened again and he felt most of the anger leave him. He sighed, it was going to be a long road for all of them.

Turning his attention back to the tableau in the living room he watched as Gibbs cradled his daughter in his arms, a smile splitting his face as he listened to whatever she was saying to him. He watched in amazement as his normally stony faced boss tossed his head back and laughed as his daughter related a story in flurry of tiny hands and shakes of her head.

"It is hard to understand, yes?"

Tony turned to look at his partner, "What?"

"Why Abby would keep Gibbs from his daughter," she said.

"I'm wondering more about why she left to begin with. Abby loved NCIS," he pointed to the living room, "And she clearly loved Gibbs. We need to get her to tell us what happened."

"She will tell us when she is ready, Tony," Ziva said, her eyes drifting as her own dark memories crept up on her, "There are some things that take time to talk about."

Tony didn't say anything, he knew that Ziva was trying to push the memories of her own pain back. They'd never really talked about the things that caused either of them pain and he respected her to much to push her now.

He moved back into the kitchen, giving Gibbs and Abby the privacy they needed, there would be time for questions later.

oOo

"...and then Mommy laid in the snow and we made lil' angels," Siobhan said in a rush, climbing down from his lap and flopping on the floor, her arms and legs flapping as she demonstrated. She jumped back up and stood in front of him, "Mommy says I make the bestest angels, cause I am one."

Gibbs laughed again, something he hadn't expected to find himself doing this afternoon. He reached out and pulled his daughter back onto his lap. _His daughter, _the thought stopped him for a moment. He'd never expected to hear a child call him Daddy again. After Kelly and Shannon died, he'd put that part of his life in a box and had never felt the desire to take it out again.

He looked up to find Abby leaning against the hearth, an anxious look on her face, her finger tips placed against her bottom lip, tears still clinging to her lashes. He set Siobhan on the floor and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "I need to talk to Mommy. Do you think you could go find Grandpa?"

Siobhan nodded enthusiastically, "Papa and me make pitures. I make kitties. Papa likes to draw birds. He draws funny birds."

Gibbs dropped a kiss on her forehead and sent her running toward the kitchen, hollering for her grandfather. When she was out of the room, he stood up and walked to stand in front of Abby. "We need to talk," he said.

Abby nibbled on her bottom lip, twirling her hair around her fingers as she looked at him. It had been three years and somehow it seemed like yesterday. Everything she'd felt that night came rushing back to her. She closed her eyes and drew in a long breath, "I thought I was ready Gibbs. I thought I'd see you and be all "stiff upper lip" about it, but I can't," she raised her eyes to his, "I can't be like you Gibbs, I can't just section my heart off." She ran one finger along his jaw, "I came back to help catch this creep. I'm not going to spend my life running."

When he opened his mouth to say something, she pressed a finger against his lips, "You have to let me say this before I lose my nerve. I'm not ready to talk to you about this yet Gibbs, I can deal with the psycho murderer, dead bodies and weird symbols part of it, but I won't talk about what happened between us, not yet."

Gibbs stepped back, but didn't say anything. She saw that familiar look return to his eyes, he was all business now. He turned his head and shouted over his shoulder, "Dinozzo, David, McGee, get in here, we got work to do."

oOo

_Three years ago..._

"What 'cha got Abs?" Gibbs said.

Abby didn't turn around before answering, "I love how you always show up just when I get to the good stuff."

"Just tell me what you know, Abs."

"Right," she said, hitting a couple of keys and bringing up a picture on the flat screen.

Gibbs set the Caf Pow! on the counter next to Abby and moved to stand in front of the screen, "What am I lookin' at Abs?"

Abby came to stand next to him, "I broke the code Gibbs," she said excitedly.

Gibbs looked at her, "The code?"

"The lettering, Gibbs. I figured out what they are."

"And?" Gibbs prompted, "What are they?"

"These," Abby said as she zoomed in on the photograph of the wounds on Lieutenant's body, "Are the letters tattooed on the body you found in Shenandoah." She clicked to the next screen, "This is the angelic alphabet." Another click and the two images appeared side by side. "I didn't see it at first, but do you see how this," she zoomed in on one character on the evidence photo, "and this," she zoomed in on a character from the alphabet, "have similar little loopy looking things?"

"Loopy looking things?"

"Yeah, there at the end of each character," she zoomed in closer, "See?"

Gibbs looked away from the screen, "What does it mean, Abs?"

"It means that I figured out what he was writing on the bodies. Whoever did this has taken the angelic alphabet and perverted it. He turned it into his own personal language."

Gibbs continued to look at her, his gaze steady, "I'm still waiting for you to tell me how this helps us."

"Oh Gibbs, you should know better," Abby said as she moved back to her desk, "Watch."

Gibbs looked at the flat screen again as Abby brought up several rows of characters. One by one the characters turned into letters, "For those who love without sacrifice deserve death."

"Now I can figure out what he wrote on the other bodies, too. He's leaving messages on the bodies, just like he did with the letter."

Gibbs nodded and started to leave the lab, "Good work, Abs."

"Gibbs!" Abby said, before he made it to the hallway, "That's not all."

Gibbs walked back to the desk and waited.

"I also figured out that the wax he's using isn't just normal wax. When I first started analyzing it, it was sort of hinky, so I ran some additional tests," she said, bringing up a spectral analysis comparison on the computer screen, "See these little peaks here," she pointed, "and here?"

Gibbs squinted at the screen and nodded.

"That is the chemical signature of an herb called Damiana."

"Get to the point,Abs."

"The killer is mixing the spiritual and the mystical. It's like some weird form of spell craft."

"What about the blood?"

Abby turned and went to her work table. She picked up the letter and turned it over in her hands, "This guy is a real whack job, Gibbs. The blood used to write this letter is an exact match to the second victim Metro found."

"That's good work Abs," Gibbs said, leaning in to drop a kiss on her cheek. As soon as his lips touched her skin he knew it had been a mistake. Clearing his throat, he walked out of the room quickly, hollering as he left, "If you find anything else, let me know."

Abby watched as Gibbs left, her hand going immediately to her cheek. She wondered what he would do if she turned her face so the next one landed on her lips.

oOo

Gibbs walked into autopsy three days later, a look of grim determination on his face. Ducky stood next to the examination table that held the most recent victim of what the media had now dubbed, The Angel. He hated it when they named the damn psychos. As the bodies continued to pile up, the media frenzy would only get worse, the addition of a nick-name would only make that frenzy worse.

"Ah, Jethro," Ducky said, looking up from his examination, "You're just in time, dear boy."

"Just in time for what, Duck?" Gibbs said.

Ducky raised the plastic shield that covered his face and stood up,"This poor young woman is not, as we had assumed, our killer's most recent victim."

Gibbs stopped at the head of the table, waiting for Ducky to explain. Including the bodies Metro had discovered, the woman on the table, a petty officer stationed at the Naval Yard, brought the body count to five that they knew of. This was the first female victim that had been located.

"This young woman expired almost two months ago. Her body has been preserved, and quite well," Ducky said.

"Have you identified her?"

Ducky's face became more serious, "Yes," he said, moving to stand next to the body again, "This is Paula Admanson, the wife of the first male victim, Jacob Adamnson."

"So he's killing and disposing of the men right away, but he's keeping the female victims?"

"It would appear so. But that is not the most disturbing thing I discovered, Jethro. There is evidence of recent sexual activity."

Gibbs kept his face immobile, "How recent?"

Ducky sat down heavily on the stool next to the table, "There is evidence of ejaculate, but no sperm. I would say within the last forty-eight hours. I took a sample and sent it to Abby for analysis although I doubt we will be able to recover DNA."

Gibbs nodded and headed for the door, "Let me now what else you find, Duck."

"As always, Jethro, as always."

oOo

_Present Day..._

Abby put the last dish from dinner into the dishwasher and wiped her hands on a towel to dry them. She went into the living room and felt her heart clutch again as she watched Gibbs reading a story to their daughter. _Their daughter. _ Every time she thought of it in those terms it was hard for her to believe that any of them could ever forgive her.

Siobhan looked up and smiled as she approached, pushing herself off of her father's lap and running to meet her. Abby scooped the little girl up and kissed her cheek, "And what were you two up to?"

Siobhan pushed against her, wanting to be let down. She went back to the couch and climbed up next to Gibbs, "Daddy read me the fish book," she said, holding up her much loved copy of One Fish, Two Fish, "We read it this many times," she added, holding up three fingers.

Abby sat down next to her daughter and grinned, "And how many times is that?" 

Siobhan looked at her fingers and thought for a moment, "That's three, mommy."

"Very good," Abby said, looking at Gibbs, "Kiss daddy goodnight, it's time to get ready for bed."

Siobhan's mouth pulled into a tiny pout, "But we is going to play with my trucks now," she said.

Gibbs lifted his daughter on to his lap, "If your mother says it's time for bed, I guess the trucks will have to wait." He looked at Abby, "Do you mind?" he said.

Abby shook her head, knowing what he meant, "No, all her stuff is upstairs in, ummm...Jackson put her in your old room."

Gibbs stood up and carried his daughter up the stairs, listening to her chatter as they walked. Abby waited until they were gone before flopping back against the couch and dropping her arms over her eyes.

"Family is never easy."

Abby dropped her arms and looked at Ziva. She shook her head, "No, it never is."

"That is what we were, Abby. A family. When you left, it was like a piece had gone missing. I have never seen Gibbs so angry or so hurt before. Tony did not make a joke for months. Tim took a leave of absence when it became clear we would not find you," Ziva let her voice trail off as she sat down next to Abby. She raised one eyebrow, "Of everyone at NCIS, you were the last person I expected to be a jogger."

Abby couldn't help herself, she giggled, "It's been seven years and you're still having trouble with the slang?" she said, sitting up, then narrowing her eyes at her friend, "Oh...you sly little minx. You were trying to get me to smile weren't you?"

"I will admit I have no real wish to see you sad," Ziva said, "I am still upset with you, but I have seen how you look at Gibbs. I must believe that whatever it was that drove you away, it was very serious. I will wait to hear your explanation before I decide how mad I will be." The former Mossad agent leaned back on the couch, "I think, though, that it will be much more difficult for Tim and Tony to get past the anger they are feeling. But, they are men, yes?"

"What about men?" Tony said as he came in from the den, McGee following him.

"It is not important," Ziva said.

"Okay then. Gibbs wants us to get set up in here."

Abby looked at the stairs, "I didn't see him come down."

"The boss is still up stairs with your, with his, with..." McGee stammered, not sure how to refer to Siobhan.

Tony slapped him in the back of the head playfully, "Spit it out McStutter," he said before placing the box he held on the coffee table, "He called down on his cell phone. Guess he's putting the little one to bed, huh? Said we should get set up and wait for him."

Abby looked at the box on the table in front of her, "What's in there?"

"These, my dear Abby," Tony said as he flipped the lid off of the box, "Are the case files on that sick bastard we like to call The Angel. Gibbs wants to start reviewing everything," he looked at Abby, "And we have more than a few questions for you."

"And this time," Gibbs said from the foot of the stairs, "I expect answers."


End file.
